Wind-wheel-load regulator.



J. A. SNEE, JR. & T. H. KERR.

I WIND WHEEL LOAD REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1913. RENEWED001.29.1914.

FIGJ. 17

PatentedJune 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

*I I l l l V M I I E WITNESSES 6M4) 721%; H M [1,

J. A. SNEE, JR. & T. H. KERR.

WIND WHEEL LOAD REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1913. RENEWED OCT. 29. 1914.

1 1 42,538 Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. SNEE, JR., OF WEST ELIZABETH, AND THOMAS H. KERR, 0F PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO SAID SNEE AND WILLIAM SNEE, OF WESTELIZABETH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIND-WHEEL-LOAD REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed October 29, 1913, Serial N0. 797,994. Renewed October29, 1914. Serial No. 869,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. SNEE, Jr., and THOMAS H. KERR, bothcitizens of the United States, and residents of West Elizabeth andPittsburgh, respectively, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWind-Wheel-Load Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this invention is to provide efficient meansactuated by the wind independently of the wind wheel for regulating theload of the latter, whereby such ratio is maintained between the speedof the wheel and the velocity of the wind that the wheel will developmaximum power in all winds of sufiicient force to operate it, regardlessof wind velocity variations, ex cepting only such extremely high windsas are not available for power development.

It is well understood that a wind wheel converts a maximum amount ofwind energy into mechanical power when the peripheral speed of the wheelis a certain fraction of the wind velocity, the fraction varying inwheels of different design. Efiicient results are obtained when the tipspeed of the wheel is approximately seven-tenths that of the windvelocity. But even though some different average speed ratio may befound desirable, it is a purpose of the invention to utilize aseparately operated wind actuated device for maintaining such speedratio, whatever'it may be, in winds varying widely in velocity so thatthe greatest efliciency is always attained.

In the adaptation herein shown and described, the wind wheel is utilizedfor driving an electric generator, and the wheel load is varied by,varyin the "current flow through the generator field, the flowincreasing anddecreasing withincrease and decrease of the wind velocity.This current flow is regulated insuch manner as'to so vary the load thatthe Wheel is maintained at its most eflicient speed in all availablewind velocities, all as fully described here inafter. I

The controlling means may be utilized in conjunction with a primaryvoltage controlling means, in such use being in effect a sub-controller,and such an arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1. Orthe improved mechanism may be utilized directly or as a primary voltagecontroller, as in the diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is aview of a portion of a wind wheel, shown partly in elevation and partlyin vertical section, together with the supplemental or speedcont-rolling wheel and generator driven thereby. Fig. 4 is a verticalcross section of a portion of the main wheel mounting drawn to a largerscale than Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a Wind wheel which is geared toan electric generator B.

C and C are the generator leads to an external circuit, and arranged inparallel with such circuit is storage battery D.

In the adaptation of Fig. 1, the current flow through shunt fieldwinding 1) of generator B is regulated by a variable resistance L,preferably of carbon pile type, which is acted upon by a lever J withone end of the lever under the tension of spring K, and its opposite endconnected to core H of solenoid coil. E, the latter being in shunt withthe external circuit. It will be understood, however, that we do notconfine ourselves to a carbon pile resistance, as any other form hereinis utilized for increasing the current flow through the generator fieldwith increasing speed of the wind Wheel, thereby increasing its load.This is accomplished by varying the resistance of a circuit containingauxiliary coil S which is in shunt with the external circuit and woundon the spool with coil E in such manner as to counteract its pull oncore H and thereby permit spring K to predominate and compressresistance I. and thereby increase the current flow through thegenerator field. In

the circuit with coil S is a variable resistance F preferably of carbonpile form, and this resistance controls the counteracting effect of coilS on will).

Resistance F is controlled by lever G fulcrumed between its ends at G,with an arm 9 adapted to engage the carbon pile for compressin the same.Connected to one end of lever latter being energized by a smallgenerator 0 which is suitably geared to wheel A. Connected to the otherend of lever G is core P of solenoid Q, the leads 9 of which extend to amagneto R driven by a small supplemental wind wheel U arrangedpreferably concentrically with and in front of the main wheel A andoperated independently of the latter. The arrangementis such thatgenerator O is driven by wheel A at a rotative speed equal to that ofthe smaller wheel U when the peripheral speed of wheel A is the desiredfraction of the wind velocity, for instance seven-tenths of the latter.Solenoids N and Q are of equal strength when wheels A and U areoperating at the desired relative speeds. In the event of departure fromthis condition the greater pull of one or the other solenoid alters thecompression of resistance F, which in turn changes the current flowthrough coil S and correspondingly changes the combined effect ofv coilsE and 'S on core'H, thereby so altering or varying the load of maingenerator B as to cause the wheel to operate at-its most eflicientspeed. Consider, for instance, that Wheel U- is runnin freely in aconstant wind,. with main w eel A' operating at a speed which extractsthe greatest amount of energy from such wind. Then if the wind velocitysuddenly increases, the smaller and lighter Wheel U forges ahead of themain wheel; and the pull of solenoid Q being thereby increased, lever Gis operated to permit resistance F to relax or expand and decrease thecurrent flow through coil S and lessen the reacting effect of the latteron coil E. The efi'ective pull of coil E being thus increased, thecompression of resistance L is decreased, less current flows through thegenerator field b and the load on main wheel A is correspondinglydecreased. This lessening of the load of wheel A enables it to speed up,and this it does until the resulting accelerated speed of smallgenerator 0 sufliciently energizes solenoid N to cause its pull tooppose solenoid Q, and in so doing compress resistance F to such anextent as to establish the desired ratio between wheel velocity and windvelocity. By this means the control of resistance F and booster coil Sis so regulated that a substantial balance is maintained between the twowind wheels, with the main wheel A always operating approximately at itsmost eflicient speed. The governing wheel U runs substantially is core Mof solenoid coil N, the

ation is the same in both adaptations,-

although the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 may be less desirable becauseof the increased amount of current necessary for solenoid Q, therebyretarding somewhat the free running of wheel U and to that extentrendering the automatic control less sensitive than with the arrangementillustrated in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4c and 5 illustrate a desirable arrangement of mechanical meansfor supporting the two Wheels, and the generator driven by the smallerWheel, also means for accommodating the leads from the generator to themovement of the wheels on the supporting derrick. Wheel A is rotatableabout the hollow bearing 2 projecting from the usual frame 3 which isrotatable about a vertical axison head 4, the latter carrying vane 5,spring 6 serving to hold the wheel A facing the wind, all as is usual inwind wheel practice. The power from wheel A is transmitted through theinternal gear 7 to horizontal shaft 8 and from the latter throughbeveled gears 9 to the vertical shaft 10 journaled in derrick 11.

Projecting frontwardly from bearing 2 is the tubular support 12 on whichis mounted the small magneto generator R, the armature of which isdriven by the smaller Wind wheel U, the latter being thus positioned infront of and concentrically with the main wheel A. Leads 13 fromgenerator R extend backwardly through tubular support 12 to rings 14which are insulated from each other on head 4 and rotatable therewith onthe derrick top plate 15. Secured to this plate are the brush contacts16, one for each ring '14, to which are connected leads 9 which extendto solenoid Q. The smaller or governing wheel is thus supported in thewindrin front of but without in any way interfering with the operationof the larger wheel.

As the invention contemplates broadly utilizing the wind force acting ona device independently of the main wheel for so regulating the load ofthe latter that its peripheral speed will be in predetermined ratio tothe velocity of the wind and regardless of velocityvariations, theinvention is not restricted to thespecific means herein shown anddescribed for accomplishing that result, and it will, therefore, beunderstood that the invention may be variously embodied and appliedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

A storage battery is shown herein only as a means for taking care of orstorin the electrical energy as it is generated. ither manually operatedor automatic means, not shown, mav be employed for turning the wheel outof the wind when the battery is fully charged. It will be understoodthat the disposition of the current derived from the main generator doesnot concern the present invention.

We claim 1. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generatoractuated by the wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field,and wind actuated means 0perated independently of said Wheel for vary-}ingdthe current flow through the generator 2. The combination of a windwheel, a dynamo electric generator actuated by the wheel, the generatorhaving an electro-magnetic field, a variable resistance in series withthe generator field, and a wind actuated device operated independentlyof said wheel for varying said resistance.

3. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, avariable resistance in series with the generator field, and windactuatedmeans operated independently of the wheel for decreasing said resistancewith increasing wind velocity.

4. The combination of a wind Wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, opposedcontrolling means for varying the current flow through the generatorfield, actuating means for one of the controlling means operativelyconnected to the Wind wheel, and wind actuated means operatedindependently of the Wind wheel for actuating the other controllingmeans.

5. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, asupplemental wind wheel, and means actuated by the supplemental Wheelfor varying the current flow through the generator field.

6. The combination of a Wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, avariable resistance in series with the generator field, and asupplemental wind wheel operatively connected to the resistance andadapted to vary the current flow through the latter with variations inthe wind velocity.

7. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said netic field, a variable resistance device for controlling thecurrent flow through the generator field, two opposed actuating meansoperatively connected to said resistance device, means actuated by thewind wheel for operating one of said actuating means, and a supplementalWind wheel operatively connected to the other of said actuating means.

8. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, avariable resistance for controlling the current fiow through thegenerator field, two opposed electrically operated means for controllingsaid resistance, an auxiliary generator actuated by the Wind wheel forsupplying current to one of said means, and a wind actuated electricgenerator independent of said wind wheel for the other of said means.

9. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generator actuatedby said wheel, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, avariable resistance for controlling the current fiow through thegenerator field, a motion transmitting device operatively connected tothe resistance, two solenoids operatively connected to said device andadapted, respectively, to move the same in opposite directions, anelectric generator for one of the solenoids geared to the wind Wheel, anelectric generator for the other solenoid, and wind actuated meansindependent of the wind wheel for actuating the last named generator.

10. The combination of a wind wheel, a dynamo electric generatoractuated thereby, the generator having an electro-magnetic field, avariable resistance for controlling the current flow through thegenerator field, a lever for actuating the variable resistance, twoopposed force transmitting devices for moving the lever in reversedirections, means actuated by the wind wheel 'for supplying force to oneof said devices, and a wind ac tuated device independent of the windwheel for supplying force to the other of said lever actuating devices.

11. The combination of a main wind wheel, a supplemental wind wheel, andmeans actuated by the supplemental wheel for varying the torque of themain wheel with wind velocity variations.

12. The combination of a main wind wheel, a supplemental wind wheelsmaller than and in advance of the main wheel and operated independentlythereof, and means actuated by the supplemental wheel for varying thetorque of the main wheel with wind velocity variations.

13. The combination of a main wind wheel, a supplemental wheel operatingindependently of the main wheel, an electric generator actuated by thesupplemental wheel, and electrically controlled load-regulating meansfor the main wheel energized by said generator and adapted to vary themain wheel torque with wind velocity variations.

14. The combination of a main wind wheel, a support projectingfrontwardly from the wheel center and about which the wheel rotates, anelectric enerator on the support, a supplemental w eel on the supportfor actuating the generator, and electrically operating load-regulatingmeans for the main wheel adapted to receive current from the generatorfor varying the main wheel torque with wind velocity variations.

15. The combination of a main wind wheel, a dynamo electric generatoractuated thereby, the generator having an electromagnetic field, avariable resistance for controlling the current flow through thegenerator field, two opposed electrically operated devices operativelyconnected to the variable resistance, a generator operatively connectedto the main wheel for supplying current to one of said devices, a,support projecting frontwardly from the main wheel, an electricgenerator mounted on said support and connected to the other of saidresistance operating devices, and a supplemental wind wheel mounted onsaid support for actuating the said support-sustained generators.

16. The combination of a main wind wheel, a derrick, a sup ort for thewheel rotatable in the derric about a vertical axis, a tubular supportprojecting outwardly from the main wheel, a supplemental wind wheelmounted on the tubular support, an electric generator mounted on thetubular support and actuated by the supplemental wheel, leads from thegenerator extending through the tubular support, rings arrangedconcentrically about the vertical axis of the main wheel support andinsulated from each other with the enerator leads connected to therespective rm contact brushes for the rings, and electrically actuatedload-regulating means for the main wheel with leads extending from theregulating means to said brushes.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses:

J. M. Nnsnrr, F. E. GAITHER.

